Exposure Therapy for OCD, Social Anxiety, and Phobia

What Is Exposure Therapy?

Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that was developed to help people confront their fears. When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid the feared objects, activities or situations. Although this avoidance might help reduce feelings of fear in the short term, over the long term it may worsen the condition.

How is Exposure Therapy done?

You’ll be recommended a program of exposure therapy in order to help break the pattern of avoidance and fear. In this form of therapy, psychologists create a safe environment in which to ‘expose’ individuals to the things they fear and avoid. The exposure to the feared objects, activities or situations in a safe environment helps reduce fear and decrease avoidance.

When is Exposure Therapy helpful?

Exposure therapy has been scientifically demonstrated to be a helpful treatment or treatment component for a range of problems, including:

Phobias

Panic Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Types of Exposure Therapy

In-vivo exposure:

In-vivo exposure:

Directly facing a feared object, situation or activity in real life. For example, someone with a fear of water might be instructed to swim, or someone with social anxiety might be instructed to give a speech in front of an audience.

Imaginal exposure

Imaginal exposure

Vividly imagining the feared object, situation or activity. For example, someone with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder might be asked to recall and describe his or her traumatic experience in order to reduce feelings of fear.

Virtual reality exposure

Virtual reality exposure

In some cases, virtual reality technology can be used when in-vivo exposure is not practical. For example, someone with a fear of flying might take a virtual flight, using equipment that provides the sights, sound, and smell of an airplane.

Interoceptive exposure

Interoceptive exposure

Deliberately bringing on physical sensations that are harmless, yet feared. For example, someone with Panic Disorder might be instructed to run in place in order to make his or her heart speed up, and therefore learn that this sensation is not dangerous.

Exposure therapy is thought to help in several ways, including:?

Behavioral Therapy has successfully been used to treat a large number of conditions. It’s considered to be extremely effective. About 75 percent of people who enter Cognitive Behavioral Therapy experience some benefits from treatment.

Habituation: Over time, people find that their reactions to feared objects or situations decrease.

Self-efficacy: Exposure can help show the client that he/she is capable of confronting his/her fears and can manage the feelings of anxiety.

Emotional processing: During exposure, the client can learn to attach new, more realistic beliefs about feared objects, activities or situations, and can become more comfortable with the experience of fear.

How is Exposure Therapy done?

You’ll be recommended a program of exposure therapy in order to help break the pattern of avoidance and fear. In this form of therapy, psychologists create a safe environment in which to ‘expose’ individuals to the things they fear and avoid. The exposure to the feared objects, activities or situations in a safe environment helps reduce fear and decrease avoidance.

When is Exposure Therapy helpful?

Types of Exposure Therapy

In-vivo exposure: Directly facing a feared object, situation or activity in real life. For example, someone with a fear of water might be instructed to swim, or someone with social anxiety might be instructed to give a speech in front of an audience.

Imaginal exposure: Vividly imagining the feared object, situation or activity. For example, someone with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder might be asked to recall and describe his or her traumatic experience in order to reduce feelings of fear.

Virtual reality exposure: In some cases, virtual reality technology can be used when in-vivo exposure is not practical. For example, someone with a fear of flying might take a virtual flight, using equipment that provides the sights, sound, and smell of an airplane.

Interoceptive exposure: Deliberately bringing on physical sensations that are harmless, yet feared. For example, someone with Panic Disorder might be instructed to run in place in order to make his or her heart speed up, and therefore learn that this sensation is not dangerous.

Self-efficacy: Exposure can help show the client that he/she is capable of confronting his/her fears and can manage the feelings of anxiety.

Emotional processing: During exposure, the client can learn to attach new, more realistic beliefs about feared objects, activities or situations, and can become more comfortable with the experience of fear.